From whence did she come?
by Veep
Summary: The SG1 and Jack are in for a surprise when Sam arrives for work. Everything seems normal until the security alert says they have a problem. I know it's been a long time but the semester is winding down and I may have more time to write for a while!
1. Chapter 1

Sam parked the cloaked ship in a field that was occasionally used for overflow visitor parking. She just had to hope that a bunch of tour buses wouldn't show up before she finished. She headed straight to the mountain entrance, prepared for the security checks.

They never questioned a thing! She was headed to Jack's office without having been asked more then 'how are you this morning'. She walked right past Walter and knocked. There was no answer but she opened the door and peaked inside, just in case he was busy or absorbed in a game. His office was empty but the lights were on.

"He said he was going to Dr. Jackson's lab to make sure he ate breakfast." Walter stepped past her and placed a folder on General O'Neill's desk.

"Thanks." Sam backed away and headed towards Daniel's lab. It was a quick trip; few people arrived this early so the elevators were essentially free for her use. The door to Daniel's lab was cracked open and light was floating out into the hall. Sam paused to listen before pushing the door open and walking inside. Daniel was hunched over his desk. He had a pencil in his mouth, another behind his ear, and a third in his hand furiously scribbling notes. Sam grinned at the site. This is how she liked to remember Daniel. Daniel felt her presence and looked up. Her gaze surprised him and internally threw him a bit off balance.

"Morning, Sam." Daniel straightened up and took the pencil out of his mouth before he spoke.

"You're looking good, Daniel." Daniel's eyebrows met in the middle of his forehead as he pondered her statement.

"Well, thanks. I guess working all night on this translation works for me." Daniel glanced down at his notebook and back at Sam, showing his confusion. Sam walked across the room and reached out to touch his shoulder. "Are you ok, Sam?"

"I'm fine Daniel." He didn't look too sure of her answer. "I swear, I'm fine." Sam smiled broader as she squeezed his arm. The sound of Jack's voice prompted Sam to turn towards the door. Jack and Teal'c walked in as Jack was trying to explain why a hockey player would want to end up in the penalty box.

"I still do not understand this strategy, O'Neill. In battle it would not make sense."

"It's not a battle T. It's a game." Teal'c frowned and stepped in behind Jack.

"Well good morning, Daniel. Carter! The gang's all here. I hope this doesn't mean you pulled another all-nighter like Daniel. I swear you two have to stop acting like freshman one day." Sam smiled and her face glowed with barely restrained exuberance.

"Morning, General." Sam continued to smile. Jack looked at Daniel and Teal'c before looking at Sam again.

"Are you ok this morning, Carter?"

"That's what I asked!" Daniel raised his hand towards Sam to emphasize his point.

"I'm fine." Jack squinted his eyes and tilted his head.

"You just seem so...happy." He wanted to also say she looked tired, older somehow, but he knew that wouldn't go over well.

"And there's something wrong with happy...sir?" Sam's beaming smile continued, getting a little bigger, if that was possible.

"I guess not. Everybody ready for breakfast?" Jack walked out the door with his 'posse' following like little ducks. Sam sat beside Jack and across from Daniel at breakfast. She didn't eat much because she spent so much time staring at Jack and Daniel. They were both getting nervous under her gaze. Jack almost jumped out of his chair when her finger deliberately brushed along the outside of his leg. She dipped her head and smiled as he recovered from his shock.

"Something wrong Jack?" Daniel said as he looked over at Jack with wide eyes.

"Nope." Jack shook his head and looked down at his waffle, stuffing an extra large piece in his mouth. After breakfast they all headed back to Daniel's lab, Sam listening to the banter Jack and Daniel were enjoying. They'd been back in the lab for just over five minutes when a security breach alert was announced. Jack moved over to the phone but Sam was faster.

"Carter, move. I gotta call security."

"I have a favor I need to ask you." Jack reached around her to the phone but she grabbed his wrist.

"Later, Carter. This could be an emergency." Jack pulled his arm but Sam didn't let go.

"When you take the job in Washington promise me you'll..."

"Washington? Jack, what's she talking about?" Daniel's look accused Jack of holding out on them.

"Not now! I have to call security!" Jack reached out with his unrestrained arm, took hold of Sam's arm and pulled. She used both arms to stop him from using the phone. Teal'c tensed and move towards them, waiting for a signal from Jack before interfering.

"Promise me you'll wear a bulletproof vest. Promise!" Jack starred blankly at her as if he didn't understand. "A bullet proof vest, Jack! Promise me!" The security alert was still blaring and Walter could be heard above the ringing requesting General O'Neill to call the security desk on level three. Jack looked at Teal'c who stepped behind Sam, securing her arms to her sides and releasing Jack from her grip. She gave in easily. Daniel was thoroughly confused and stepped closer to Sam.

"A bullet proof vest in Washington? Why Sam?" Sam hung her head and didn't answer Daniel's question. Jack didn't say much into the phone for the first few minutes.

"Yeah, she's here." There was a pause while he kept his eyes on Sam. "I understand and I agree. I'll bring her and met you on sixteen." Jack hung up the phone.

"Her? What's this about Jack?" Jack turned so his whole body was towards Sam and Teal'c.

"I'm not sure yet, Daniel, but I think she is, aren't you." Jack walked to Sam and lifted her face. He sucked in a breath when he saw her tears.

"Promise me, Jack. I did all this for you...for us. Promise me." Something about the desperation in her eyes made him let go and step back.

"Take her to a holding cell on level sixteen until we can get this straightened out."

"Until we get what straightened out?" Daniel's hands flew up in the air as he stepped next to Jack and huffed.

"Colonel Samantha Carter just tried to check in. The problem is she already checked in this morning. Somehow we have two Carter's and as helpful as that might have been a few times I still need an explanation." Jack tightened his jaw muscles, a sure sign of his frustration, as Teal'c moved Sam towards the door. Daniel silently followed along, not sure what to ask. 


	2. You left it where?

When they got to level sixteen they saw a second Sam Carter already behind bars.

"Sir, what's going..." The already incarcerated Colonel stopped speaking when she saw her double being locked away. "Who the hell is that?"

"That's question now isn't it?" Jack looked back and forth between the two women. Now that they were together it was obvious that there were differences in the woman he'd eaten breakfast with this morning. She seemed more tired, something he'd blamed on her work schedule. The second Sam sat dejectedly on the cot.

"I can explain, if you keep your promise."

"I haven't promised anything and I won't unless you talk."

"Does it have to be here?"

"Do I look stupid?" No one spoke; even Daniel didn't take the opportunity Jack opened. "I don't think I appreciate that no one answered that."

"Maybe you do." Daniel smirked. Even with the high tension in the room he wasn't able to pass it up. Jack glared at him and went back to staring at the Sam's.

"I swear I don't know what's going on, sir." Jack glanced at the Carter who still looked like the one he saw just yesterday.

"She's telling you the truth, Jack." Jack stepped closer to the cell holding the Sam he'd spent breakfast beside.

"Jack, huh?"

"Yeah, it's Jack." She stood up and walked over to the bars. "We didn't have long as Jack and Sam but what we had was really good." She reached out but Jack stepped back. Her hand and her head dropped. "Any chance we can sit somewhere comfortable to have this talk? I'm not feeling so well."

"Do you need a doctor?" Daniel stepped around Jack.

"No, Daniel, but thanks for the offer."

"Teal'c, ask the guard to bring in a few chairs and a tape recorder."

"No tape recorder. What I have to say is just for your ears."

"That's not how it works. We play by my rules."

"You know me better then that Jack O'Neill. I don't have to tell you anything." Sam raised her head high and glared at him.

"You do if you want out of here."

"Who said I wanted out?"

"Then you do if you want me to make any kind of promise." Sam sized him up and shook her head.

"I'll tell you my story. If you still want it taped after that I'll consider it." Jack looked at her, scanning her from her head to her toes and back. He nodded his consent as five chairs were rolled into the hall in front of the cells. A tape recorder sat in one chair but he didn't turn it on.

"Does that mean I can get out of here?" Jack looked over at Carter. His eyes widened slightly, letting her know he had momentarily forgotten about her.

"Yeah, I guess." He didn't sound too confident.

"Thanks, sir." Her sarcastic response didn't escape him. He flashed his eyes back towards her.

"Keep an eye on her Teal'c, just in case." Teal'c nodded and stood behind Carter as she took one of the chairs.

"Can I have one?" The still incarcerated Sam waved at an empty chair. Jack pushed one over to the door, waved her back, opened the cell, rolled the chair inside and closed the cell. "Thanks. I've been up all night. It took me a while to find a place to land near my old house and then I still had to disable my car and motorcycle before I could fly over here."

"My car too?" Carter sat up straight and blinked furiously at her counterpart.

"Yeah, how else was I supposed to stall you this morning? I'm just lucky you even came home last night."

"It took me forty minutes to get my bike working this morning! I haven't even checked my car yet!" Carter slumped back in her chair.

"Carter that's not really what I think we need to be focusing on right now." Jack turned his head back to the imposter Sam. "So who are you and why are you here?"

"I'm Samantha Carter and I'm here from the future." Jack and Daniel both leaned forward. Sam's eyes widened, giving her the classic deer in the headlights look. Teal'c didn't sway, but his head tilted.

"Why?" Jack rested his chin on his clasped fists.

"To save you. To save all of you."

"Stop right there." Carter stood up from her chair and faced General O'Neill. "I know you hate this, sir, but we're back to the grandfather paradox. If we hear her out then what she says will affect our decisions and change our timeline."

"Well good, because I'm here to change your damn timeline and you can stick your grandfather in a cannon and fire him across a bow for all I care because that theory's a bunch of bunk." Carter spun on her heel and faced her doppelganger. 

"How can you say that? Einstein clearly stated that..."

"But he never saw it. Dr. Weir went back in time and changed the way the entire Atlantis expedition happened. If she hadn't done that they all would have perished when they arrived. I'm not advocating going back and messing with millions of things, just a select few, including the lives of the three men you care the most about."

"It's not right. You have no idea what this could result in! You could make things worse!"

"Even death would be better for some." Her eyes flicked to Daniel, who leaned back in his chair; uncomfortable with the brief look he'd received. Carter turned back to Jack.

"Don't do this, sir. It's wrong. We need to let destiny play out without interference." Jack looked down at his feet.

"It's already too late, Carter." Carter's browed knitted as Daniel turned towards Jack.

"Washington?"

"Yeah." Jack nodded. "I talked to Hammond yesterday about accepting his position when he retires. I was going to tell you guys tonight." Jack looked over at Daniel and then up at Carter. Carter's mouth opened and closed twice. Daniel nodded his head.

"And I assume Jack gets shot?" Daniel looked at Sam.

"Yeah, through the heart. You were dead before you hit the pavement. It wasn't anything like you see on television. You didn't reach up, tell me how much you love me and let your eyes slowly close. You were just dead, staring at me with a look that still haunts my nightmares." Sam wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed. Carter shivered at the image and Jack frowned.

"Who shot me?" Sam glanced at Carter before answering.

"Pete."

"No way! Pete and I broke it off well. There aren't any hard feelings left."

"That's how it seems to you now but as soon as he found out about Jack and I he lost it. He was convinced Jack stole me from him. He refused to understand I wasn't seeing Jack when we broke up. In his mind we'd been playing with him the whole time and using him as a cover while we were sleeping together." Carter looked shocked at the notion. "Oh please, don't act like there aren't plenty of others who thought the same thing." Carter was doubly shocked.

Daniel tried to catch Jack's eye, to gauge his reaction, but Jack seemed fixated on a cinderblock across the room. Sam and Carter were in a scowl face off.

"I just can't see Pete going off the deep end like that."

"I've seen it. He got life in prison. He didn't even fight it much." Sam broke off her staring match with Carter as her voice softened near the end of her last sentence. Jack plugged back into the conversation.

"So you came here just to tell me to wear a bullet proof vest?" Sam nodded.

"I've been over it and over it. I think that's the key moment when everything went to hell. If you hadn't died I think everything else would have been ok." Sam wrung her hands and looked at the floor as she spoke. "It makes sense. I mean you were what always held us together and without you we fell apart so all I have to do is keep you alive." Her words were getting more frantic as she spoke.

"Relax." Jack glanced at Carter and Daniel. "Why don't you tell us what else happened...just in case." Sam looked up. She was wild eyed but the worried look on Daniel's face made her realize how she looked and sounded. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. She stood up and began pacing the cell.

"In a nut shell, Daniel left the program and Teal'c joined the rebel Jaffa. I went to live with the Jaffa also." Sam ran her hands through her hair. Her back was to the door when she next spoke. "That's when I went looking for another time machine and voila here I am...to fix all the wrongs."

"You just found it?" Daniel's brow creased and he leaned forward.

"Of course I didn't just bump into it. I spent a long time going back through your notes looking for civilizations with strong prophecies that turned out to be reliable. I found three planets that had writings similar to what we found on Maybourne's planet. I left the Jaffa and searched all three planets. On the third one I found a ship."

"So where's this ship now?" Jack stood up and stretched.

"I guess there's no real point in hiding it from you. It'd be better for you to get it out of the parking lot before some schmuck tries to park on top of it." Sam grinned at the shocked expression on Jack and Daniel's faces.

"You just parked a space ship in the parking lot? Are you nuts?" Jack waved his hands as he ranted.

"It's cloaked. You'll find it in the grassy overflow lot." Sam smiled wider as Carter hid her smirk by turning her head away from Jack.

"You have a cloaked time machine? Cool." Jack grinned at her. "Is it unlocked?" Sam stuck her hand inside her shirt and dug around. She pulled a small chip out of her bra and handed out through the bars.

"This'll help. Just touch it here." Sam dropped it in Jack's palm without making contact with his skin. "It'll work for you, since you have the ancient gene."

"How were you able to fly it?" Sam shrugged in response to Jack's question.

"I had your ancient gene spliced into my cells."

"Oh." Jack turned and walked out the door. Daniel and Carter followed. Teal'c stayed with Sam. Once the elevator door closed Jack looked at Sam.

"That's creepy."

"Creepy, sir?"

"Putting my gene in her cells. Don't you think that's going a bit too far?" Daniel smirked and leaned back against the wall of the elevator.

"It's the most logical way to be able to use the ancient technology. It would really help my research if I could turn on ancient machines. Maybe I should ask Doc to try it on me." Jack's mouth hung open and Daniel snickered at Carter's response. Carter kept a straight face and walked out of the elevator ahead of the men.

"Daniel, do you think she's serious?" Jack whispered as soon as he thought Carter was out of earshot.

"She'd go to all sorts of distances to be able to do her research, even becoming more like you."

"Hey!" They hurried after Sam and out into the parking lot. They passed all the good parking spots and moved into the grassy field designated for overflow visitor parking. There were only four cars in the lot, all near the front.

"Ok, Carter. If you were gonna park a space ship out here where would you put it?" Jack spread his arms out as he spoke.

"Over there." Sam pointed to the far back corner of the lot. All three of them began walking in that direction. Sam had her hands up in front of her and was walking slowly. Jack took her cue and ambled a bit slower then normal. Daniel plunged forward and bounced back, landing on his rear, when he walked into the ship.

"Found it." Daniel rubbed his nose before taking Jack's outstretched hand and getting up.

"Good work, Daniel." Jack grinned at him.

"I notice neither of you were rushing over here." Daniel scowled at the back of Jack's head as Jack walked around the ship, using his hand to outline its invisible shape.

"You always let your excitement overrule you brain. In this case, I figured you wouldn't get hurt so I didn't try to be the voice of reason." 

"The voice of reason? I doubt anyone would call you..." Jack touched the chip while Daniel was trying to verbally retaliate. The door on the back of the ship opened. Carter walked in without pausing.

"It's an ancient ship alright." She walked over to the contraption in the back of the ship. "This looks identical to the time machine in the other ship, sir." Jack moved towards the front of the ship.

"Since it's cloaked I'm gonna take it over to Peterson. We don't have room for it here but I want it close by, just in case." Jack sat in the pilot's seat and flexed his fingers before laying them on the control panel.

"Shouldn't we let them know we're coming?"

"I can do that." Daniel backed towards the exit.

"You seem anxious to leave Daniel. Why?" Jack turned back to look at his friend as he questioned him.

"It's just your luck with alien ships isn't too hot. I'm not in the mood to push my luck today." Daniel skipped out of the back and waved as Jack turned back to the controls.

"Traitor." Jack whispered. Sam took a seat in the co-pilots chairs and smirked. The ship took off and Daniel headed back to the SGC. 


	3. Wildfire

A few of you have mentioned that I am referring to the future Samantha Carter as Sam and the current Samantha Carter as Carter. You are correct. I hope that helps you keep up with who's who as the drama unfolds. Thanks for all the reviews!  
----

They were gliding along towards Peterson. Carter hadn't spoken since take off, letting Jack concentrate on his flying.

"I was planning to ask you tonight. I'd told the guys to come over at seven so you and I would have an hour before they arrived to talk." Carter looked at Jack. She was shocked and pleased.

"What were you going to ask?" Jack glanced at Carter as she spoke but quickly turned back to the large windshield.

"When I heard about Hammond's retirement I told the Joint Chiefs I'd only consider the job if I was able to hand pick my replacement. I had to be sure some NID puppet didn't end up in my office. They agreed yesterday. That was faster then I'd expected."

"They probably knew you'd ask." Jack glanced her way quickly.

"Probably." He nodded once to reinforce his agreement.

"That still doesn't explain what you were going to ask."

"If it was up to you would you rather I stay in Colorado as your CO or go to Washington as your..." Jack faltered as he searched for the right word.

"My?" Carter sighed the word, watching Jack's jaw flex.

"Boyfriend?" Jack squinted his eyes and flinched as he said the word.

"I'm not sure it should be up to me."

"I thought it would be up to us, you know one of those grown up conversations couples sometimes have."

"A couple. I like the sound of that." Carter grinned. Jack saw it out of the corner of his eye as he began bringing the ship down towards the SGC hanger at Peterson. The landing was smooth. Carter stood and stepped around her chair, moving towards the back. Jack reached up and grabbed her arm.

"I didn't want it to happen this way. I had a plan."

"A plan?" Sam's eyes softened as she smiled at him. Jack stood, trapping her between his body and the back of her chair.

"Something to let you know how I feel." Jack leaned closer to Carter.

"I think I understand how you feel." Carter's hands moved to his forearms.

"Really?" He looked down at her, maintaining full eye contact.

"Yeah, because it's how I feel." Carter fought the urge to lean closer.

"So Washington it is." Jack grinned. "That's what I'd hoped you say." He took one step back as Carter let go of his arms. She released a long held breath as he turned away from her. "Any chance you'd come and help me move in. Maybe stay a few weeks."

"Absolutely!" Her smile was cosmic. She followed him out of the ship. Two stunned airmen were shocked to see a General and a Colonel walk out of thin air. Three engineers ran over as soon as they appeared. Jack watched and smiled while Carter gave them technobabble orders. Thirty minutes later a car picked them up to return them to the SGC.

----

Teal'c watched Sam trying to get comfortable on the cot. She rolled from one side to the other and back again several times, sighing loudly with each roll. Finally she lay on her back and looked up at the cot above her.

"Are you ill?" Sam turned her head towards Teal'c.

"Yeah, actually, I am." She sighed again

"Is there something I could get for you that would improve your health?" Sam eyed him for a minute.

"I guess something for pain would be good." Teal'c inclined his head, went to the door, and spoke with a guard. He returned to his position in front of her cell and didn't attempt any further communication. A doctor arrived a few minutes later. He entered Sam's cell, under Teal'c's careful observation.

"Are you taking any medications or do you have any allergies?" Sam quickly answered no. He checked her blood pressure and temperature. The doctor pulled out a syringe of morphine and injected her. Sam thanked him as he left. She rolled over so her back was to Teal'c and, after about ten minutes, she fell sleep.

Daniel was waiting for Carter and Jack when they returned. He didn't notice any change in their demeanor, although Carter and Jack both felt like an electric field was buzzing between them. Jack managed to sit down behind his desk before Daniel started asking questions.

"Do you believe her?"

"I don't have any reason not to yet."

"Ok, I'll take that as a yes. Are you taking a job in Washington?" Jack's eyes glanced to Carter's before he answered.

"Yeah, I was planning to tell you guys at dinner tonight." Jack picked up a pen and began swirling it between his fingers.

"Ok, are ya' gonna wear a vest?" Jack's lips pursed and he purposefully didn't look at Sam or Daniel.

"I gotta think about it." Daniel stood as soon as the words left Jack's mouth.

"Think about it. She said you die Jack! What is there to think about?" Daniel leaned forward on Jack's desk and panted.

"I understand what she said but..." Jack's phone rang. He picked up the receiver, glad for the interruption. Daniel focused his outrage at Carter, trying to enlist her in his fight. She was on his side but she planned to use different tactics to get her way.

"We need to go down to the infirmary. Apparently the other Sam had some kind of seizure. She's unconscious and the doctor's concerned." Jack stood and walked out as he was speaking. Daniel and Carter trailed behind him, looking equally worried. They entered the infirmary to find Teal'c still watching over Sam.

"I do not know what happened. She was having trouble sleeping and requested pain medication." Teal'c inclined his head toward the unconscious Sam.

"Pain medication?" Jack looked down on the pale sleeping figure on the gurney.

"She did say she didn't feel well." Daniel got closer to the gurney as he spoke. Carter stayed further back, uncomfortable with seeing her other self looking so sick.

"The doctor came and provided her with morphine. She fell asleep. Later she began to convulse and I requested medical attention for her. She has been here, like this, since."

"I think I can provide some answers." A doctor O'Neill recognized but didn't really know appeared behind Teal'c. "I gave her the morphine. She told me she wasn't on any other medications but based on the blood work I just got back she has tretonin in her blood."

"Tretonin?" Jack was confused and looked over the man's shoulders, as if the readout was going to make sense to him.

"Would not a human end up without an immune system if they began to take tretonin?" Teal'c looked down at the doctor as he spoke. Daniel was pretty sure he saw the poor guy swallow twice before he was able to answer Teal'c.

"Yeah, and her immune system is all out of kilter?" The doctor glanced at Sam as he spoke.

"Kilter?" Teal'c frowned.

"He means it's not right, T. What can you do, Doc?" Jack kept his eyes on the doctor.

"I'm going to give her tretonin. It's just a guess but I think that'll help." Jack nodded and waved towards Sam, indicating his acceptance of the plan. The doctor stepped forward and injected Sam. They all stood around and watched her. It was over a half hour before she began to stir. Her eyes opened and she glanced around.

"Uhhhhhh, why can't I manage to stay out of this place?" Her hand came up to her head and she ran her fingers through her hair. "What happened?" The doctor placed his hand on her arm before he spoke.

"Morphine and tretonin don't mix well. You had a reaction and ended up with a seizure."

"Ah." Sam glanced towards the sheet covering her and lowered her hand.

"Why didn't you tell me about the tretonin when I asked if you were on any medications?" The doctor used his often-mimicked shame on you face.

"It's been a couple days since I ran out. I thought it was out of my system."

"Even so, it's a big detail to leave out of your medical history." The doctor crossed his arms and glared. "So let's fill in that gap and any others that might exist. Why have you been taking tretonin?" Sam grimaced and winced. She avoided looking at all of the room's occupants.

"I picked up an alien disease on M5X-832. It was beating my immune system so as a last resort the doctors suggested tretonin. It hasn't stopped the disease but it slowed it down."

"You knowingly brought an alien disease onto this base!" Jack bellowed in fury. All eyes wandered from the calm and withdrawn Sam to the furious Jack.

"I'll order a wildfire lockdown, sir." The doctor turned to leave.

"Relax." Sam looked up at the doctor's retreating back. "It requires a little effort to get infected. I promise not to do anything that would allow it to spread." The doctor turned back towards her.

"And I'm just supposed to accept that?" He pursed his lips and crossed his arms.

"What else do you want?" Sam shrugged. The doctor stepped closer.

"What type of agent are we dealing with? How is it spread? How did you get infected? Why did your doctor decide to try the tretonin? How long have you been on the tretonin?" The doctor's mouth was still open when Sam held up her hand.

"I get the point. I'm infected with a prion. It's spread through contact with body fluids. It's a fragile prion and doesn't survive well outside the body for long. It denatures at room temperature, which makes taking blood samples frustrating. Our inability to keep it active set back the research for several weeks." Sam looked around the group to gauge their reactions. The doctor was writing furiously. Carter was lost in her own contemplations. Daniel and Teal'c were just observing, although with different looks on their faces. Jack was analyzing her, probably trying to figure out if she was being truthful.

"If it's spread by body fluids and has to stay at body temperature then there are very few viable means of infection." The doctor didn't even look up from his chart.

"Yep." Sam twisted the sheet corner and avoided Jack's eyes. She focused her attention on the doctor and hoped he wouldn't make her say it. As her eyes bore into him Carter gasped, having made the realization that Sam had a sexually transmitted disease.

"You slept with an alien?" Carter's shocked voice was loud and accusatory.

"I wouldn't say there was much sleeping going on." Sam avoided all eye contact. She gave a stilt forced laugh.

"I guess we shouldn't be surprised, it's not like you haven't always had a thing for aliens." Sam grimaced at Jack's outburst but quickly hid it. 

"WHAT!" The shocked and angry retort came from behind Jack, not from the woman lying on the gurney in front of him. "Is that really what you've thought about me all this time?" Jack ran his hand over his face, flexed his jaw and turned towards Carter.

"No, of course not. I was just caught off guard. I wasn't expecting..." He gave her a pleading looking, in the hopes that she'd understand that his mouth had worked faster then his brain. The doctor decided this was good time to change the subject.

"What are the symptoms of this disease?" Sam, Daniel and Teal'c refocused their attention on the doctor. Carter was still sending imaginary daggers into Jack with her eyes and Jack's eyes were pleading for mercy.

"It causes necrosis, tissue death. It's attracted to neurotransmitters, which means it spreads all over the body following neural messages. It loves the brain. It collects between neurons, in neuromuscular junctions, and at other neural receptor sites. The neurons and the receptor sites either degrade over time or the prion fills up the space between the receptor and neuron, preventing the neuron from sending a message. The patient becomes unaware of their surroundings and the muscles stop responding. The prediction was that death would occur when the diaphragm stopped responding but the patient's essence would be lost long before that." Jack and Carter lost interest in their starring match as they listened to Sam's description. Daniel shuddered.

"Is the necrosis because the immune system is trying to eliminate the prion?" The doctor was still taking notes. His overly clinical attitude was making Jack and Daniel uncomfortable.

"Yes, that's why the doctor's decided to try tretonin. They thought a 'new' immune system might not react the same way, giving me more time. It worked. I'm still dying, just slower." Jack glanced back at Carter. She saw how the thought of having her die briefly showed across his face. She began forgiving him in that instant, although she wasn't ready to admit it yet.

"How long have you been taking the tretonin?"

"Sixteen months."

"When was the last time you took some before today?"

"It's been...eight days since I ran out." The doctor nodded, still scribbling furiously.

"One container has enough tretonin for over a month, in case a Jaffa is separated from his supply for a long period of time. Why did you exhaust your supply so quickly?" Teal'c joined the conversation.

"I only had five vials of tretonin with me when I left the Jaffa. I stretched it to last eight months. My intention was to arrive here, warn Jack and die. It never occurred to me that someone would figure out that tretonin would help me.

"You came here to die?" Daniel question was full of disbelieve and a bit of disgust.

"Yes, if you hadn't given me the tretonin I probably would have remained comatose or at least vegetative until I died, quietly. I can't survive this and I don't want to be kept alive without really having a life. I request that no more medical interventions occur that will prolong my life, including tretonin injections." Daniel's eyes widened. The doctor let his arms hang loose, with the chart barely secured between his fingers. Carter looked stunned and Jack shook his head. 


	4. Her story

"Not gonna happen." Jack continued to shake his head as he spoke.

"It's my choice not yours." Sam crossed her arms and pursed her lips.

"You're wrong about that. You're in my mountain and the doc follows my orders." Jack looked over his shoulder at the doctor. "Go ahead and order wildfire until we can confirm her story. Put her in an iso room just to be safe. Continue her tretonin treatments and any other necessary medical interventions until I otherwise direct you."

"Yes, sir." The doctor nodded and quickly headed away from the crowd, expecting his patient to protest General O'Neills last statement. He wasn't disappointed. He could hear her enraged voice as he slipped away.

"You can't do this to me! I deserve a peaceful death not some zombie-like existence. I'd do this for you!" Sam screamed at Jack, ignoring Carter, Teal'c and Daniel.

"Oh, really. If I showed up with declarations of dangers from the future and admitted to carrying an as yet unknown disease you'd be willing to risk the base by letting me slip into a coma and not be able to answer any questions." Jack shot back hotly, while leaning on the rail of the bed.

"I'd trust that you weren't going to do anything to harm the base because I know you." Her answer was quiet but fierce.

"See that's part of the problem. I trust Carter. She tells me something isn't safe I blow it up. She says it's safe I let her take it back to her lab to play. If I need a brilliant idea to save world I turn to her. Carter doesn't agree with you. She says the grandfather thing matters and you're throwing it out the window. How am I supposed to resolve that?" Jack's rapid shallow breaths swept over Sam as he leaned towards her.

"Because she might be right." Jack spun around towards Carter as she spoke. "I hadn't accounted for Dr. Weir's experience. I'm not convinced yet but it's worth more study." 

"What are you saying?" Their eyes met as he harshly spoke.

"Her theory has potential. I need more time to review the Atlantis information." Carter held her head high as she defended her other self.

"It wasn't consensual, was it?" Daniel stepped closer to Sam's bed. The change in subject brought all eyes, except Sam's, towards him. "You didn't get this disease by consensual relations did you?" Sam looked down at her hands twisted in the sheets.

"I'm really tired." Sam half closed her eyelids and laid her head to the side. No one moved for several moments. Daniel and Carter were the first ones to give up and move towards the door. Teal'c followed after them. Jack turned to leave and then felt a hand on his elbow. He looked behind him and down. Very quietly Sam whispered to him.

"Just you." He didn't acknowledge her words. He walked over to his friends and former teammates. They preceded him through he door. He briefly glanced back at her still form as she feigned sleep.

After dinner Jack tried to read the same report four times. It was useless. He dropped the report on his desk and ran his hands through his hair. He sighed and gave in. He left his office and headed to the infirmary. He checked the main infirmary room but she wasn't there. He went to the suite of iso rooms, quickly locating her.

A nurse was removing a tray of food that she obviously hadn't touched. The nurse nodded and grinned at Jack as she passed him. He nodded back and closed the door behind her.

"Evening." Jack stepped closer to Sam's bed, dragging a chair with him.

"I wasn't sure you'd come." He shrugged. "Are you alone?" Sam glanced up at the darkened window of the observation room that looked down on her bed. Jack followed her gaze.

"It's just us." Jack glanced around the room, pulled the chair up beside her bed and settled into the chair. "Why did you want it to just be us?" He leaned forward placing his elbows on the edge of the bed, propping up his head.

"I don't want to do anything that'll affect their reactions off world. I'm here to save their lives not make them second guess themselves and end up just as dead."

"And you think telling me is safe?" Jack's voice was quiet and controlled.

"You'll be in Washington, hopefully alive thanks to the vest you're going to wear, and you won't know this mission has started until it's over." Jack grinned at her less then subtle mention of the vest and nodded.

"Ok, what happened?"

"It's the usual story, we were captured soon after we stepped through the gate. Daniel did his spiel but it made no difference. They were convinced anyone coming through the gate was evil. Teal'c and Colonel..." Sam stopped mid sentence and looked at Jack. "I probably shouldn't say there even is a fourth team member let alone who that is."

"A fourth huh?"

"Just let it happen." Jack shrugged again. "Anyway, Teal'c and the other person were taken to work in the fields. Daniel and I were kept inside." Sam shivered slightly and then started picking fuzz off the blanket that came up to her chest. Jack waited patiently.

"I think they kept Daniel because he was doing all the talking."

"Sounds like Daniel." Sam smiled at Jack's light tone of voice and comment. "Why did they keep you?" Jack's tone changed when he asked the question. He grew serious again, almost anxious.

"I was leverage."

"Leverage?"

"They used me to try and get Daniel to talk. When he refused to talk I got hit." Sam looked into Jack's eyes. "That was worse for Daniel then being hit himself. He did a great job not reacting but it was eating him up inside."

"I can imagine. What did he do?"

"He couldn't do anything but keep his mouth shut. He told them what was safe to tell and then he closed his mouth. He knew I'd rather die then have him say anything that could compromise Earth or our allies. I was just about unconscious when they stopped. They left us alone but we were still tied to our chairs. It gave me a chance to get a second wind. I thought I was ready when they returned the next morning." Sam sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"But?" Jack leaned further forward.

"They asked a few questions but when he didn't answer they didn't hit me like I expected. They just smiled and kept asking questions. We were both getting more nervous as Daniel kept evading their questions. When they announced they were done asking questions I expected them to leave again but instead one of the leaned over and untied me." Sam gripped the blanket tighter and bit the inside of her lip. Jack let her have a moment to collect her resolve.

"I fought back but there were five of them. They took turns holding me down. They all took their turn, a couple more then once. I kept count." Jack was surprised she didn't shed a tear or even mist up. Her hands got white as she balled them into fists. She had passed sorrow and moved to anger, which she hadn't spent yet.

"Daniel screamed and begged them to stop as the first one took me. I only looked at him once, telling him to shut up and not play into this trap. It took every ounce of strength he had but he closed his eyes and mouth. They tied me back to the chair when they finished." Sam took a breath and let it out slowly. "We both cried after they left. A new group arrived a couple hours later. Daniel begged them to leave me alone. They quickly agreed. If I'd been more with it I might have realized that was a bad sign." Jack reached out and touched the back of her hand. It relaxed slightly.

"They started asking the same questions and he still refused to answer. They didn't touch either of us as they asked the questions. They just laughed. I was getting more nervous with each question." Jack wrapped his hand around hers and she squeezed, hard. 

"They took Daniel." She whispered the revelation. "It was awful. He fought hard." She shook slightly.

"I couldn't help him. I wanted to but..." She chocked back a sob.

"You don't have to explain." Jack used his free hand to smooth out her hair.

"A rescue team got us out the next day but Daniel never recovered. He left the program and hid in Egypt. He didn't speak to any of us for months." She snorted. "One day Daniel shows up out of the blue. He was sick and the doctors in Egypt and New York, his first stop after Egypt, couldn't figure out what was happening so he had to come here. SGC's best and brightest finally decided it was a sexually transmitted disease unlike anything that existed on Earth." Sam tilted her head to one side and blew out a breath.

"By the time they tried the tretonin Daniel didn't know who he was let alone who Teal'c or I were. He needed 24 hour care but he mumbled about classified missions so they set up a room for him in the SGC. Teal'c and I begged for them to stop the treatments. He wasn't improving and we knew he didn't want to live like that."

"Teal'c of course blamed himself. All that Jaffa junk about not protecting one's brother was eating him up inside." Jack nodded his understanding. "He left the SGC to join the Jaffa. After he left the doctors figured out I was sick also. They got me started on the tretonin and kept looking for a cure. Daniel lingered but you couldn't call it a life. Maybe a week or two after Teal'c left Daniel had a stroke that left his right side paralyzed." Jack saw a tear in her eye. He moved his free hand so his thumb could catch the tear and wipe it away. She leaned towards his hand and closed her eyes.

"It wasn't fair. It wasn't what he would have wanted." She opened her eyes and fixed him with a piercing stare. "I shot him. Point blank through the head. I ended it for him." Jack's eyes only widened slightly. He refused to show his shock because he knew he would have made the same decision. Her shoulders straightened as she waited for his response.

"And then?" His voice was quiet but steady as he asked.

"I was arrested, tried, and sentenced to life in prison. Somehow the government kept the whole thing quiet. I just disappeared." She relaxed back against the raised back of the gurney as her fear of his reaction passed. "I was out on the grounds getting my hour of exercise when I materialized inside a Goa'uld transport vessel. Teal'c had heard of my conviction and he felt I was justified in my actions so he liberated me. Relations between the Earth and the Jaffa weren't too strong so the Jaffa refused to turn me over just to spite the SGC." Jack grinned slightly.

"So you and Teal'c found the ship?"

"No, I'd spent time going through Daniel notes in the months after he left. I had three planets I wanted to visit and I got absorbed trying to find ways to get there. I didn't let Teal'c in on the plan because I thought it was a long shot. That was a mistake. He'd internalized too much pain from losing you and Daniel. I guess I just assumed he was too strong to let it get to him like it was getting to me." Jack tilted his head and watched her shrink before his eyes.

"He joined every battle he could find. I was so blinded by my goal of getting you and Daniel back that I didn't see him slipping away. He died in some random fight. His friends said he acted like a man who had little to live for." She squeezed his hand again. "It's my fault he died too." Jack sat up straight.

"None of it was your fault." He pulled her hand closer to his body to keep her attention. "You did the best you could."

"Pete kill you because of me, I let Daniel be assaulted, I didn't insist he get the help he needed afterwards, I didn't help Teal'c deal with his guilt, and I wasn't enough of a friend to even see his distress. The evidence clearly points to me not doing what I needed to do to keep my best friends...my love alive. I have to fix it."

"The guilt you carry is no more justified then the guilt Teal'c carried and your death would be just as much a waste as his." Sam lifted her free hand and placed it on his cheek.

"I'd live if I could but I can't. I've done what I wanted to do with my life and hopefully everything will be better now. Please don't make me exist without living." Her thumb caressed his temple as her eyes roamed over his face.

"I won't...but now isn't the time." She considered this and nodded.

"But when it is the time..."

"I promise."

"And you'll wear the vest." He smiled and stood up.

"It's late." He stepped away.

"Thank-you, Jack."

"You're welcome." He moved to the door and glanced back over his shoulder as she closed her eyes. He lingered for a moment and barely heard her whisper before leaving.

"I missed you sweetheart"  
----

Graduate school is piling on the work for the next month. I have tons of papers to grade in the class I'm teaching and then there's the rest of my job and all the stuff that goes with it. What I'm saying is I know this story isn't over and I know where I'm taking it but I don't know when I'll be able to finish it (or the other one I've left hanging). I apologize in advance and hopefully in August I'll be able to get back to this, before my fall classes become insane. 


	5. Jack decides

From Whence did she Come?

Chapter five: Jack decides

Jack went home and tried to sleep. When he rolled over for the eighth time and saw the clock read 4:48 he knew it was time to quit. He got up, dressed, and headed back to the mountain. He stopped in the commissary for a doughnut and coffee before heading to the observation room over the isolation room. He crept in quietly and took a seat. He watched her sleep for over an hour before the doctor came in.

"Mornin' Doc."

"Good morning, sir." Lam sat down beside him and looked out at the pale doppelganger lying below.

"Are you here to tell me there's nothing you can do?"

"In so many words, yes."

"I get it. Really I do."

"But you aren't ready to accept it." Jack didn't answer her. "Do you know what people would say if I walked around base and asked them to describe Samantha Carter?" She glanced over at Jack who hung his head but didn't answer. "They'd say how smart, beautiful and talented she is. The scientists would talk about her great scientific mind. How she sees things a different way and comes up with an answer to every problem. The soldiers would talk about her tactical reasoning, calmness under fire and leadership ability. Everyone admires her and at some point in the description each and everyone one of them will say she's smart or brilliant. She's spent her whole life being defined by her intelligence. If you dig deep enough you'd find she even places much of her own self worth on her intelligence. It's what always made her stand out. Now she's facing a disease that's going to take her very essence, her intelligence, away from her. I can slow down the death of her body but the loss of her mind in inevitable and it'll happen quickly. We talked last night about her Daniel. He lost his ability to reason within a month of his diagnosis, which was just three months after his symptoms began. She's had symptoms for over a year. She knows she's having trouble reasoning. Her world is closing in around her." Jack sighed and rubbed his hands over his face.

"So you're telling me to just let her go." Lam looked out at Sam.

"What else do you really need from her?" Jack looked down at Sam and sighed again. "Are you making her live for herself or for you? If you're doing this for you then you're being selfish. She's made a tough choice and she's committed to it."

"Aren't doctors supposed to fight for life no matter what?" Jack looked over at Lam.

"Her life, her essence, is in her head. I've thought about it all night and every time I put myself in her place I end up making the same decision. It won't be easy to stop all meds and let her die but I know if it was me I'd want the same thing." Jack looked back out towards Sam.

"Do it."

"Thank-you sir." Lam stood and left the room. Jack saw her reappear in the iso room. She quietly disconnected the tretonin from the iv line and disappeared. Jack sat watching until Sam's eyes blinked. He left the observation room before she had a chance to see him.

Jack attempted to work but between his own sleep deprivation and Daniels repetitive interruptions he wasn't getting much accomplished. Early in the afternoon Jack went down to the infirmary to visit Sam. She smiled when he entered the room.

"I'm glad you got down here so I could thank you."

"It's no big deal." Jack waved his hand in the air and plastered a fake grin on his face.

"It is to me and you know it." Jack sat down in the chair near her bed. "I have one more favor to ask."

"Ok."

"Please vaporize me in the stargate kawoosh." Jack's eyes widened.

"Isn't a simple cremation enough?"

"No, I have no right existing in this time. If I've done what I intended then nothing I've told you about will occur and she'll never end up here. This will insure nothing of me remains." Jack told a hold of her hand.

"You're wrong about that." Sam smiled.

"Are you going to wear the vest?" Sam's face sobered as she asked him.

"Yeah." He sighed as her face relaxed.

"Thank-you." He shrugged his shoulders in response. "You still have to go after the girl you know." Jack smirked.

"I've been thinking about that."

"Good, so has she." Jack's smile widened and Sam giggled. They sat and talked for a little over fifteen minutes until sleep dragged her away from him. He brushed her hair off of her brow and traced every feature of her face with his eyes. She looked relaxed and peaceful as she lay before him. It was how he intended to remember her.

That evening the doctor called to inform him that Sam had slipped into a coma during the afternoon. They all knew she wouldn't be coming out of it. Jack was exhausted so he went home and slept peacefully all night. The next day he closed out the old files on his desk and packed boxes for his move to Washington. Just before leaving he gave Walter a letter addressed to General Hank Landry. Walter eyed the letter but accepted it and left. Jack was packing his last box when the call came. Sam had passed away in the early evening hours. The doctor offered to let him come down and see her but he declined. He hung up the phone and went home.

Jack was sipping his second beer when the doorbell rang. He figured it was Daniel coming over to try and get him to talk about it. He was fully prepared to tell Daniel where to stick it as he pulled open the door. He was thrown off balance by the sight of Sam Carter on his doorstep wringing her hands.

"Evening…sir. I heard that you heard and I thought…I mean…can I come in?" Jack stepped back and made room for her to enter.

"Yeah, sure. Make yourself comfortable."

"I wanted to be sure you were alright." Carter stood in his living room looking at him as he closed the door.

"I'm fine. Thanks for being concerned." He stood on the step above the living room. "Can I get you anything?"

"No, I'm fine. I just wanted to make sure you didn't want to talk…or anything. I mean I'm here for you if you do…you know, want to talk." Sam was looking more nervous as she spoke. The more nervous she got the more adorable Jack found her. He stepped into the living room and stood before her.

"I definitely don't feel like talking." Sam sucked in a quiet breath as Jack stepped closer. "I do still have a lot of packing to do before the van gets here in the morning." Jack was as close to her as he dared without an invitation.

"So everything on base is settled?"

"Yep."

"You're officially assigned to Washington as of…"

"…now I suppose." Neither of them moved. The tension was rising higher as Carter concentrated on her breathing. "Are you still coming to Washington with me?" Carter sucked in another breath. "To help me get settled." Jack watched her intently.

"If that's what you want." She reached out and placed her hand on his bare arm. It was all the invitation he needed.

"It's what I want." He leaned forward and their lips touched softly.

"Good, because I put in my leave request before I left the mountain tonight." They both grinned and leaned back in to kiss again. Jack's arms came around her and pulled her gently against his body.

"I always said you were one step ahead of me." He grinned as she relaxed against him.

"I never minded being a step behind." Her eyes flashed up at him. "The view was great." He laughed out loud and swooped in for another, longer kiss.


	6. Washington

Big thanks to my wonderful new beta (and best former roommate ever)! She did such a fantastic job I plan to keep using her (I hope she doesn't regret it). Now on with the story...

Carter was glad she'd come to Washington for two weeks. She and Jack got to hang out as friends and lovers instead of as coworkers. There'd been a few bumps in the road, like not calling him sir, but she'd enjoyed the trip. Jack seemed satisfied with the way things were going. He was much more affectionate then she had imagined. He always had an arm around her and he really liked to nibble on her neck, even in public.

Jack seemed intent on letting her control the pace at which their relationship moved. It started to drive her nuts so she finally decided they had to discuss it. She was a bit nervous about their first serious talk but she didn't want anything hanging over them when she left to back to the SGC in three days. She waited until they were walking back from dinner.

"Jack?" He glanced over at her and squeezed her hand.

"Yes?"

"We need to talk." Sam held her breath after she said it.

"I'd been wondering when you were going to say something." Her brow creased as she looked at him. "I could tell something was up but I didn't want to push. I knew you'd tell me when you were ready." She stopped walking, pulling him to a stop with her.

"How long were you going to wait?" Her hands went to her hips and her lips tightened into a line.

"Until you were ready."

"And what if I'd left and gone back without saying anything?"

"You wouldn't have done that." He lifted a hand and caressed her face. "What's really going on here?"

"You're leaving everything up to me." He grinned, which just made her angrier.

"So you're mad at me for letting you have control…for following your lead." Sam huffed, opening and closing her mouth like a fish. She took a deep breath.

"It's not a partnership if one person is making all the decisions." She lifted her hand, and cupped the side of his face. "Why are you making me make all the decisions?" Jack looked down and clasped her free hand.

"I just figured after spending eight years as your superior officer, it was about time I let you call the shots." Jack glanced back up at her eyes. He saw the anger recede.

"I'd rather discuss things. I want to be your partner."

"I'd like that." He leaned in and kissed her. The kiss deepened and he pulled her closer. "Then I'd like to discuss getting back to my place and ravishing you."

"I'd agree with that suggestion." They both smiled and started walking again.

"Does this mean tomorrow night we can discuss where we have dinner?" Jack kept his eyes forward as he spoke.

"Absolutely." Carter worked hard to keep a straight face. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, don't get me wrong, the dinners have been great, but they aren't really my style. They'd be ok every once in a while, but wearing a tie to dinner every night gets old quick, especially now that I have to wear my dress uniform every day"

"They aren't really my style either." Jack stopped walking and pulled her to a stop beside him.

"Then why have we been getting all dressed up and going out every night?" Carter grimaced and looked away.

"I've been waiting for you to say something." Jack's eyes widened and his hand tightened around hers. She flinched slightly.

"This was a test?" His voice wasn't a growl but it was close.

"I guess…sort of. I jut wanted to see if you'd finally say something." Jack took a deep breath.

"I guess we've both been playing games, huh." Sam sighed and leaned against his chest.

"Yeah. I promise to stop if you do."

"Promise." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Do I still get to ravish you when we get home?"

"If we ever get there!" She smiled up at him. He took her hand and began a quick trot down the street. "Jack! Slow down. I'm in heels."

"That's your fault." He smiled and slowed down just enough so she didn't look as if she was about to trip.

----

Sam smiled from her place in bed as Jack stepped out of the bathroom and walked past the bed headed for the dresser so he could search for clean socks. He had a towel around his waist and he was using a hand towel to dry his hair. Sam couldn't resist. She slipped out of bed and crept up behind him. She put her arms around him and licked the back of his ear. He sucked in a breath, spun in her arms and placed his hands on her hips.

"I don't have enough time this morning, so please don't start." His breath was slightly ragged. It made her heart soar.

"Ok." She sucked his earlobe in and then quickly let go. She stepped back and made her way into the bathroom.

"That was evil!" He called to her as she stepped into the shower.

"Yeah, but you loved it." He grinned because she was right. By the time she got out of the shower, he was dressed and messing in the kitchen. She went out to see him, and he handed her a cup of coffee.

"Are you coming over to have lunch with me?" She took the coffee he offered as he spoke. She followed him out into the hall.

"I wouldn't miss it." He leaned in for a kiss and she obliged him. He opened the front door as the phone rang. Sam answered it.

"Hello."

"Hey, Sam. I'm just calling to see how things are going." It was Daniel, so she waved towards the door letting Jack know it was safe to leave. He blew her a kiss and left.

"Things are going wonderfully. How are you doing?" Sam went back to the bedroom, sat on the edge of the bed and took a sip of her coffee.

"Fine, fine. Is Jack still there?"

"No, he's already left for work."

"That's pretty early."

"I guess. Daniel, what's going on?"

"Going on?" Sam put her coffee down on the bedside table.

"Yes, Daniel. You're pretty transparent. Something's up and you aren't interested in telling me what. So how about just get it over with."

"It's Pete." Sam sat up straighter.

"What about him?"

"He'd been calling your office every day. A couple times a day or so until Monday."

"Ok, and…"

"Walter didn't know it was him."

"AND!"

"He called three days ago and Walter told him. I just found out, otherwise I would have called earlier. He knows you and Jack are in Washington. I figure he's capable of filling in the rest."

Carter hung up without so much as a good-bye. She hadn't spoken to Pete since the other Sam has appeared. She didn't really think Pete had it in him to murder anyone, but still. Knowing Pete had been calling her did raise some doubts. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweater. She pulled on a pair of flats and raced out the door. Jack was already on the train headed to the city. Sam got on the next train and tried to restrain her pacing. She tried to call Jack but he didn't answer. If his train was as loud as hers he probably couldn't even hear it ringing.

She was the first one out of the train when it stopped. She looked around but there was no sign of him. She'd come into the city with him twice as he went to work. She raced down the street she thought he usually took. Within five minutes she saw him turning a corner. She called out for him and he stopped, turning to face her. Her sweater was sticking to her chest, something he would have loved to explore a bit closer if she didn't look so terror-stricken.

"Sam, what's wrong?" Sam flew towards him. He caught her in his outstretched arms.

"Are you wearing the vest?"

"Sam?" Tears were in her eyes and she reached out and gripped his shirt.

"Are you?"

"Of course I am." She leaned against him and quietly sobbed. He rubbed her back as she pulled herself together. They ignored the crowd bustling around them.

"I'm sorry, Jack. When Daniel called, and said Pete had been calling and knew we were both here, I panicked."

"It's understandable. I'd have done the same in your place."

"It's just I didn't see you getting dressed this morning, so I wasn't sure you were wearing it."

"I promised you…her, and I intend to keep my promise." Sam wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Thank-you." He hugged her back.

"We better get moving. We seem to in the way." People were pushing past them trying to make it to work. "Why don't you come on in with me since you're here." Sam nodded her agreement, not quite ready to let him out of her sight. Jack kept an arm around Sam as they rejoined the crowd. Sam's security clearance allowed her in the pentagon without any trouble. After calling Daniel and letting him know everything was fine, she settled at a spare computer in an office near Jack's and caught up with her emails. The morning seemed to fly by.

"How about joining me for lunch at my favorite diner?" Sam looked up at Jack and smiled.

"I'm starving!" Sam stood up and reached for her pocketbook, suddenly remembering she didn't have it. She'd left this morning with nothing but a few bills in her pocket.

"Looking for something?"

"I just now realized I don't have my pocketbook. That means no wallet or keys."

"Good thing I'm willing to treat." Jack smirked. Sam shook her head and sighed. She wasn't used to being scatter-brained enough to leave her keys behind. "I appreciate that you were so worried about me that you left everything behind."

"I hope you say the same thing about me not locking the house or turning on the alarm." She grimaced as she remembered. Jack smiled and put an arm around her waist.

"I'll take my chances. Come on, let's get some lunch." Jack led her out of the pentagon to a car that was waiting for them.

Lunch was fantastic and lifted Sam's sour mood. Sam walked arm in arm with Jack out of the diner and around the corner.

"Where are we going?"

"There's a little ice cream place just down the street. It's homemade ice cream, and it's the best I've ever tasted. I though maybe today was an ice cream kind of day." Jack squeezed her waist and pulled her closer.

"Sounds good." She laughed and smiled. Their laughs over lunch and his jubilance had pushed her fears away. She was relaxed and enjoying her time with him when it finally happened. It was just as she'd described. The bullet hit him directly in the heart. He flew backwards and hit the cement hard. She saw his head bounce twice. People nearby screamed and dove for cover. She just stood and watched her worst nightmare play out in front of her.


	7. Sam's Guilt

From Whence did she Come?

Chapter seven: The winds of change

Sam was kneeling beside an unconscious Jack when the first police car arrived. He'd hit his head hard when he fell. Sam worried about a concussion. The police called for an ambulance but warned her the ambulance couldn't get close until they'd cleared the scene. Sam understood the need to keep the paramedics safe. Numerous other police cars arrived. Someone brought her a spare bulletproof vest and helmet.

As the police combed the nearby streets Sam wiped Jack's sweaty brow. She'd already unbuttoned the first four buttons on his jacket and made sure there was no blood. Now that police surrounded her she took the time to unbutton his shirt and run her hand over the bulletproof vest that had stopped the bullet from piercing his chest.

"Ma'am?" Sam looked up into the very young face of a police officer. "We have someone in custody and the ambulance has been given clearance. They should be here any minute." Sam mutely nodded.

Jack woke in the hospital emergency room. His disorientation angered him, but Sam's face helped him regain his control.

"Sam? What happened?"

"You were shot." Jack's eyes widened. "The vest stopped the bullet, although you'll have a hell of a bruise. You hit your head when you went down. They figure you've got a concussion. They're going to keep you overnight."

"Like hell they will. I've had more concussions then they've had cups of coffee. I don't need to stay here." Jack tried to push up but instantly was overtaken by a wave of nausea.

"They said each concussion builds on the last one. Eventually it all adds up. This also happens to be a particularly bad concussion." Sam caressed his face as he lay back down.

"Fine." Jack slumped back against the gurney and pouted. The fact he quit fighting so easily told Sam he really felt awful. Sam held his hand in hers and smiled at him. The ringing of her cell phone startled them both. She pulled it out of her pocket and flipped it open.

"Hello?" She glanced down at Jack.

"Yeah, he's awake and acting like himself." Sam grinned. Jack grimaced.

"And what's that supposed to mean? Who is it?"

"It's Daniel. He'd like to speak with you." Jack put his hand out for the phone.

"You got what you asked for, Daniel." Sam grinned as she gave the phone to Jack. He swiped it and gruffly put it against his ear.

"Don't you listen to a word she says? I'm fine."

"I never said you weren't. We heard you were shot. Was it Pete?"

"I don't know. I haven't had a chance to ask but it's on my list of things to do. We'll call you when we know more." Jack handed the phone back to Sam.

"You were right. He sounds just like usual."

"Yep." Sam continued smiling.

"What are you agreeing to? Huh?" Jack watched her smile turn into a quiet giggle. "Are you laughing at me while I'm in the hospital?"

"Never." Sam attempted to sober her expression. A police detective entered the curtained of area and nodded his head. "I gotta go Daniel. I'll call you later." Sam closed the phone, stood, and extended her hand.

"Afternoon, ma'am. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get here but I wanted to speak with the suspect and a few of witnesses. It took a little longer then expected. Please sit." Sam sat back down beside Jack and held his hand. "I just have a few questions." The detective pulled out a notepad and pen.

"And I only have one question." All eyes turned to Jack. "Who shot me?" The detective met Jack's stare.

"We have a Detective Pete Shanahan in custody. He isn't talking but the circumstantial evidence looks pretty damning. Do you know why he might be interested in shooting you?" Jack's jaw tightened. Sam lifted her head and faced the detective.

"He's my ex-fiancée." The detective nodded. It was an all too common story. He preferred this to a terrorist cell going after an Air Force general doing classified work at the pentagon.

"We'll check him out and keep our options open as we finish clearing the scene. Is there anything else you can tell us about him?"

"I never though he would do anything like this." Jack gripped Sam's hand.

"I rarely have people tell me they saw it coming, ma'am." The detective put his notebook back in his pocket.

"If it's alright with you folks, I'll call back when you've both had a chance to rest." They all nodded and the detective left. Jack watched Sam's profile. He knew her wheels were turning.

"She was right."

"Yeah." Jack saw Sam's face darken. "Don't you dare start to blame yourself for this." Sam turned towards him.

"Well who do you want me to blame? I brought him into our lives. I strung him along knowing I didn't really love him just the concept of being in a relationship that could go somewhere." Sam let go of his hand and began pacing the room. "I drove him to this. I let him think I loved him enough to marry him!"

"Bullshit! No man is stupid enough to think if it takes a woman over two weeks to accept his proposal she's committed to him. He knew, even if he wasn't any more willing to admit than you." Sam was breathing hard and still pacing.

"I never should have dragged him along."

"Probably not, but we've all made mistakes. That doesn't give anybody the right to shoot to kill." Jack watched Sam's frantic pacing. It was driving him batty. "Com'ere." Jack held his arms out. She just looked at him for a moment before moving in his direction. She sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down into his arms.

"I'm sorry, Jack."

"I know, but it's over now and I won't let you torture yourself. He made this choice and he alone has to pay. If you let this drag you down you'll end up paying too. You don't deserve that…we don't deserve that." He stroked her hair as he spoke.

"General O'Neill, I'm Dr. Matthews. It's good to see you awake." Dr. Matthews stepped to the end of the bed as Sam sat up. Jack didn't let go of her hand. His thumb caressed the back of her hand the whole time the doctor spoke. "We have a room for you upstairs where we can monitor you all night."

"Let me guess, you plan on waking me up too often and making sure I have a miserable night."

"I wouldn't have put it that way but it does just about sum it up. I guess you've been through this a few times?"

"That's one way of putting it. I can do all the waking up stuff much more comfortably at home. If necessary I'll sign myself out against medical orders but I am leaving."

"Jack, I thought you…"

"We are going home together tonight." Jack lifted a hand up to her face. The doctor saw what was happening. He'd gotten enough of a report from the police to understand the General didn't want his girlfriend to feel responsible for his injury.

"I'll allow you to leave if your MRI doesn't indicate a brain bleed. I will have a nurse call you every two hours. If she doesn't hear your voice I will order her to send an ambulance to your house, with MPs if necessary." Jack grinned.

"I get it. Thanks, doc." The doctor left and was quickly replaced by a nurse who took Jack to the MRI center. Sam was asked to wait in a dimly nit waiting room. She managed to sit and stare at the ridiculously happy posters lining the wall. The MRI was clear so Jack was released after only five long hours. Sam took him straight home.

Sam was due to leave the next day. She knew Jack was healthy enough to be on his own but she still wasn't excited about going back to the SGC. That morning after a leisurely breakfast with Jack Sam got a disturbing call from Cassie's college. Cassie had been hospitalized with alcohol poisoning. Jack and Sam caught the first plane out of Washington. By the time they arrived she was out of danger but feeling plenty rough.

"Hey Cassie!" Cassie's face paled. She squeezed her hands on the rails and cringed.

"Please don't Uncle Jack." Jack shook his head in frustration. He leaned over the rails of her bed.

"Why Cassie?"

"You wouldn't understand." She whispered her answer.

"Yes he would, and so will I. Give us a chance sweetheart. We've both been to hell and back. We can help better then most." Sam ran her fingers through Cassie's hair and looked down at her.

"She's right kiddo. We've both been in bad places and we know the kinds of stupid things you can do as you try to find a way out." Cassie looked from Sam to Jack and back to Sam. She began to cry and leaned against Sam. Sam wrapped her arms around her.

"I was just trying to forget. I didn't mean to let it get this far. I'm so sorry." Sam kept petting her hair as she sobbed.

"Did you mean to kill yourself?" Jack's voice was restrained and quiet as he asked the question he needed answered.

"No…no…never!" Cassie turned her tear stained face towards him. "I'd never do that to you, to either of you. I just wasn't thinking. I'm so sorry." Her tears began in earnest again so Sam held her tight.


	8. The end

From Whence did she Come?

Chapter eight:

Sam moved to Area 51 to be closer to Cassie. She was having a tough time and Sam knew Cassie needed her more than Daniel or Teal'c. Even Jack understood he and their burgeoning relationship had to take a temporary backseat. Jack made Cassie first in his life also. It wasn't long before Cassie got her feet under her again. Who wouldn't succeed with Jack and Sam standing behind them!

Sam was recalled back to the SGC. Jack nervously paced his office and yelled at several innocent lieutenants the first day she was off world again. Although he'd survived his brush with predicted disaster, Sam and Daniel had not yet defeated theirs. He knew what was out there, but he also knew he couldn't stand in their way. It was tearing him to pieces and beginning to affect his relationship with Sam.

"So what do you think of Landry's new protocols?" Cam was walking through the lush grass with Sam to his left. Daniel and Teal'c were following five steps behind them.

"They aren't new to you." Sam scanned the horizon. She enjoyed baiting Cam, almost as much as she had enjoyed pushing Jack's buttons when they were on a long boring march to nowhere in particular.

"You know what I mean. I've heard some of the other guys talking. They think it's because he doesn't trust us." Cam glanced over at Sam, surprised she was able to stay so focused when things were so dull.

"They just don't like change and change is what you get with every new General. You've moved through enough commands to know that." Sam cocked her head to the side and looked over at Mitchell. He was nodding his head.

"Yeah, I just wondered what you thought." Mitchell returned to scanning the horizon so he missed Sam's grin. He reminded her too much of the Jack she first met.

Sam, Daniel, Teal'c and Mitchell were becoming a confident well-oiled team. It had taken time for Mitchell to find his place but they'd all grown comfortable together. They'd completed twenty missions together and decided it was time to celebrate. Jack was stuck in Washington that weekend, so he had to hear about the pool playing, dancing, drinking, and jello wrestling instead of participating.

It was mission twenty-one where Jack's fears began to play out but he didn't know it. After several fights, and subsequent make-up sessions, Sam had convinced him to stop checking up on her. She let him know she was going off world but made it clear she would notify him when she returned. He hated it but he wasn't willing to earn her ire by continuing to try and check on her without her knowledge. Apparently Walter and Siler couldn't keep a secret!

It was just as she'd described, not that any current members of SG-1 were aware of that fact. They were captured as soon as they came through the gate. Teal'c and Mitchell were led in one direction while and she and Daniel were dragged off the opposite way. Daniel began talking as soon as the natives appeared and continued through the entirety of the walk. He and Sam were tied to chairs in a cold bare room and left to wonder about what was next.

Three men entered the room and stood before Daniel and Sam. Two others stayed back near the door.

"Why have you come?" The man standing in the middle looked at Daniel as he spoke.

"As I have been trying to explain we are explorers. We travel through the stargate looking for civilizations with whom we can be friends."

"We know you are lying and we do not tolerate liars." The man standing in front of Sam reached out and slapped her across the face. She was surprised and it stung but she held back her temptation to gasp and looked back towards the man without wincing.

"That is the minimum price you will pay every time you are not truthful."

Daniel swallowed but maintained eye contact with his inquisitor.

"Now that you understand the price, let's begin again. Where have you taken our people?"

"We have not taken your people. We just got here." Daniel saw the man to his left swing his arm out. The sound of the punch making contact with Sam's face made Daniel flinch. Daniel blew out a slow breath and tried to center himself. Sam still made no sound.

Daniel tried and tried to answer their questions, to tame their hate, but Sam paid the price over and over. The brute hitting her switched from her face to her ribs after six punches. Daniel knew something had to be fractured because her breathing was irregular and labored. Daniel was at a complete loss so he finally just stopped answering. After two final blows, this time to Sam's abdomen, the inquisitors left.

"Sam? Are you ok?" Daniel looked over at Sam. She was slumped to her right side and Daniel couldn't see her face. "Sam?"

"Peachy, Daniel. Just peachy." Sam tried to straighten her body but the pain caused her to suck in a quick breath, resulting in more pain. Sam stopped struggling and just allowed her body to lean to one side.

"You really gotta stop taking Jack lessons." Daniel jested.

Sam wanted to snicker so Daniel would know he'd succeeded in cheering her slightly but she feared how much pain a small snicker would cause.

--

Walter glance up as General Landry entered the control room.

"According to my watch…" began the General.

"Yes, sir. I am prepared to dial, sir."

General Landry glared down at Walter. He loved the man's efficiency but he really would like to finish a though or a sentence once in a while. "Then do it." General Landry watched the gate spin as the chevrons locked in place. He hadn't tired of this spectacle and he wondered if he ever would.

"Chevron seven locked, sir."

The General turned his head towards the monitor. A serene picture of the grassy meadow surrounding the gate appeared on the monitor. The camera panned the area. "Radio SG-1."

Walter pressed two buttons. "Sierra Gulf Charlie calling Sierra Gulf One. I repeat this is the SGC calling SG-1. Over." Walter let go of the buttons and waited, along with the rest of the control room crew. The newly required four-hour radio checks for all off world teams still gained attention, even though up to this point it had been an uneventful and seemingly unnecessary procedure. The four-hour radio check, if everything was reported to be progressing satisfactorily, was followed by another check eight hours later, a check twenty-four hours later and then radio calls every third day as long as the mission lasted, unless the General determined otherwise. It required more dial ups and so far none of the officers who talked about the new procedure saw any reason for doing it. Things worked fine before and most felt this was just General Landry being over protective. They attributed it to the fact he hadn't ever been off world.

"Where are they?" General Landry glared at the screen.

"Should I try again, sir?" Walter glanced up at his commanding officer.

General Landry nodded in the affirmative.

"SG-1 this is the SGC please respond." Silence now reigned in the small control room.

"Close the gate and prepare a UAV. Be ready in fifteen minutes."

Walter set about disconnecting the gate and calling Siler. Siler immediately got a UAV prepared. General Landry returned and asked Walter to dial P5X-382. They radioed SG-1 twice more but got no answer. The UAV was launched and data poured in. Technicians scurried around the General analyzing the important and interesting.

"It looks like there's a settlement about one klick from the gate, sir." Technician Blarey kept her eyes on the screen as she spoke.

"Get SG-3 ready to leave. I'll brief them in the ready room in fifteen minutes." The General went to his office and picked up the red phone.

SG-3 was through the gate in less then half an hour. The General retreated to his office and pretended to review files. Walter could read the anxiety the General was trying to cover but no one else seemed to notice. Three hours passed before the call was heard over the PA.

"Unscheduled off world activation. Unscheduled off world activation."

General Landry was in the control before Walter had finished the second announcement.

"Receiving IDC. It's SG-3, sir."

"Open the iris." The metal protective covered slid open revealing the shimmering blue wormhole. SG-3 and SG-1 both came through at a jog. Daniel was supporting some of Carter's weight. She looked awful and Landry went down the metal stairs in twos.

"Colonel?" A medical team, called by Walter, arrived just as General Landry spoke. He knew she felt bad when she accepted the offer of a ride. She gave him a small smile in answer and then was swept out of the room. The General turned to Mitchell.

"What happened?"

"We walked through, we were ambushed, and we were separated. Teal'c and I learned a lot about their agriculture but I have no idea what they did to Carter."

"They beat her every time they asked a question I couldn't or wouldn't answer." Daniel was starring at the door through which Sam had been carried. All eyes turned away from him as they sensed his pain.

Jack arrived four hours after SG-1 was rescued. Sam was asleep in the infirmary. Her chest was wrapped because she had three broken ribs and a punctured lung, which had collapsed. A machine whirred beside her bed helping her lung regain the pressure needed to function again. Jack hated seeing her like this, but he was glad she'd made it back to the SGC.

Jack went up to the General's office and made himself comfortable.

"I read Daniel's report. It sounds like this is the one she warned me about but I thought M5X-832 was locked out of the dialing computer so this wouldn't happen." Jack looked up at Landry with a question in his eye. He wanted to know if his friend had screwed this up.

"That's what we all thought. There's a new kid working in telemetry and apparently we need to go back through a month's worth of star data. The names are all messed up. He's been reassigned and three scientists are reviewing all of his work. So far we have found eight mislabeled planets." General Landry's answer made Jack scowled.

"Damn her. She knew. That's why she was willing to tell us the address. She knew even if we had the address we'd still send SG-1 there." Jack stood up and started pacing. "I should have known she wouldn't just let it slip. Damn but she's smart."

"And that's news to you?" Landry watched his friend spin on his heel and glare.

"No, I just thought…"

"You thought you were a step ahead of her?"

"She was sick. Maybe she was losing her edge."

"And maybe not. At least you convinced me to start the four and eight hour protocols. That probably saved them." General Landry motioned towards the chairs as he spoke, indicating he would prefer for Jack to sit.

Jack sat back down and leaned forward, looking down at the ground. "Did the infirmary check for the presence of the virus?"

"Twice. It's not there. She wasn't sexually assaulted. We got there in time. Go let her know how glad you are she's home." The men shared a small smile as Jack stood.

"Thanks, Hank."

"Any time I can help you as well as get my premiere team back safe, I say it's a great day."

Jack left the office and went back down to the infirmary. Sam was still out so he got comfortable.

--

When Sam woke Jack was waiting. He leaned forward as she turned her head towards him.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself, beautiful."

"How long have you been here?"

"A few hours."

"How long have I been out?"

"Almost a day."

Sam rolled her eyes and sighed.

"They worked you over pretty good. It'll take time to recover." Jack touched her face gently.

"I'm fine." Sam started to sit up but quickly stopped.

"Your broken ribs don't agree with you."

Sam grimaced. "I hate broken ribs more then anything."

"Skull fractures are pretty bad too."

"Yeah."

"What do you say we take a nice long vacation when you're released?"

"Where?"

"Maybe Vegas?"

"You never struck me as a Vegas kinda guy."

"I thought we could just spend a day there…maybe get hitched."

Sam grinned. "We could do that here just as easily, with Daniel and Teal'c as witnesses."

"You really are way smarter then me."

"I've though a lot about it too."

Jack face erupted in a grin. "Really?"

Sam blushed. "Yeah, really. Why this sudden desire to marry me?"

Jack's eyes shifted.

"This was the one wasn't it?" Jack didn't answer, fiddling with his sleeve until she continued. "I was supposed to be raped and infected wasn't I?"

"Yeah. I thought I'd locked the planet out but there was a mistake and it was labeled incorrectly. Luckily Landry sent a team when you didn't check in on time."

Sam's eyes widened. "You did that!"

"Did what?" Jack locked eyes with Sam.

"The new check in protocol. You made that, didn't you?"

"Yeah." Jack nodded and looked back down at his feet.

"To save me?" Sam whispered.

"And Daniel. Let's not forget Daniel."

"Yeah, Daniel." Jack looked back up at Sam as she spoke. Their eyes locked.

"From here on out there's no script. I'd like to start writing this story together, if you're willing. The ring's at home but I can bring it. I'll go get it now, if you want." Jack pushed up out of his chair.

"You already have a ring?"

Jack stopped moving and looked at Sam. "Yeah."

"How long have you had it?"

Jack bit his lip.

"Jack?"

"I got it as soon as I was promoted to general. I really thought we'd work out a way to be together pretty quickly."

Sam lifted her hand out towards Jack. He stepped up to her bed and took her hand.

"I'd love to be your wife."

Jack smiled, lifted her hand to his mouth, and kissed the back of her hand.

"We can worry about the ring later." Sam spoke softly as he kissed her hand.

Jack leaned down and kissed her lips. The long slow passion filled kiss broke when she gasped quietly in pain, trying to breathe

"Sorry." Jack winced as he apologized.

"You have lots of time to make it up to me." They both smiled. "So what does this ring look like?"

"Don't you want it to be a surprise?"

Thank-you for all the reviews and thanks again to my fanastic beta Trisha. This one is over but another story is already beginning. I hope I can finish it before I dive back into classes!


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